I stepped out of my room and closed the door quietly behind me.
My heart was still beating too fast for something as simple as walking downstairs.
The house felt different this morning. Heavy. Like it was holding its breath.
I took the first step down.
Then the second.
Voices drifted from the living room before I even reached the bottom.
Lily was crying.
I stood still for a second, then hurried the rest of the way down. She was curled against Elena's side on the couch, her small shoulders shaking.
"My classmates called you drunk," she sobbed.
"They said Papa is crazy."
My chest tightened painfully. Of course the news had reached her school. Of course children would repeat what they heard at home.
Elena held her close, rubbing her back slowly. She looked calm, but I could see the strain in her eyes.
I knelt in front of Lily and gently lifted her chin. "Hey," I said softly. "They don't know anything. They're just repeating nonsense."
She sniffed.
"They laughed at me."
I swallowed. "Then they're the foolish ones, not you."
A small smile broke through her tears. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Really?"
"Really."
After a few more quiet words, she slid off the couch and ran toward her room. The sound of her door closing echoed down the hall.
Elena looked at me, her expression shifting from mother to older sister. "You don't use that language around kids, Lys."
I nodded. I didn't argue. I didn't have the energy.
I sat beside her, staring at my hands. I had come downstairs with a purpose. I couldn't forget that now.
"Elena," I said quietly.
She turned toward me, her voice gentler. "Yes?"
"I've thought about the offer."
Her posture changed immediately. Subtle, but noticeable. "And?"
"I'll take it."
For a second, she just looked at me. Then relief flooded her face. "You will?"
I nodded. "Yes."
She exhaled like she'd been holding that breath for days. "That's good, Lys. That's really good. I think this will help you."
Help me.
Ground me.
Fix me.
I forced a small smile. "I just wanted to tell you."
She squeezed my hand. "You won't regret it."
Before I could respond, the front door opened.
The sound of polished shoes against the floor made my stomach flip.
Victor.
He stepped inside with his suitcase, suit perfectly fitted, tie still sharp even after what must have been a long day. He always looked controlled. Put together. Like nothing could shake him.
Elena walked toward him immediately and kissed him. It was familiar. Intimate. Practiced.
I looked away.
"Alyssa," Elena called gently. I stopped halfway to the stairs.
"Yes?"
"She has something to tell you," Elena said, glancing at Victor.
He looked at me then. Not warm. Not cold. Just assessing.
"I accepted the job," I said.
He adjusted his jacket slowly. "It's about time."
That was all.
No smile. No congratulations.
Just approval wrapped in indifference.
Then he walked past me toward the hallway.
I stood there for a second longer than I should have. Elena touched my arm lightly. "He's tired," she said. "The headlines have been a lot."
I nodded, though something inside me felt smaller than it had before.
"You can start Monday," she added.
"Okay."
I went back upstairs without saying anything else.
Inside my room, I closed the door and leaned against it. My chest felt tight. I didn't know why I had expected more from him. A nod. A proud look. Something.
Instead, I got permission.
I sat on the edge of my bed.
Monday.
It felt bigger than it should.
The next morning, my phone buzzed loudly against the nightstand.
I groaned and grabbed it. "Hello?"
"So," Aaron's voice came through, alert and amused. "Did you accept?"
I blinked sleep from my eyes. "You don't even say good morning?"
"Answer the question."
"Yes," I muttered. "I did."
"Good," he said immediately. "That's a smart move."
I hesitated before speaking again. "I need to shop."
"For what?"
"Office clothes. I can't show up looking confused and underdressed."
He laughed softly. "You? Underprepared? I doubt that."
"Are you free?" I asked.
There was a pause. "Not entirely. I have something to handle, but I could spare some time."
In the background, I heard a woman's voice. Clear. Close.
"Is that Lys?"
I sat up straight. "Who was that?"
Aaron's response came too quickly. "No one. I'll call you back."
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone.
No one?
That didn't sound like no one.
By mid-morning, I was standing in front of my closet. Clothes covered my bed. I had more options than I realized—blouses, skirts, fitted trousers.
Why had I been acting like I had nothing?
Maybe because I never felt ready for anything important.
I chose three outfits. Simple. Professional. Safe.
Downstairs, Victor and Elena were already in the living room again, talking in low voices. The television was muted, but I could see headlines flashing across the screen.
Scandal.
Investigation.
Speculation.
Victor's jaw was tight. Elena's hands were clasped together.
"Good morning," I said.
Neither responded immediately.
I stood there awkwardly before walking past them toward the kitchen.
This was what Monday would be like.
Conversations stopping when I entered.
Eyes measuring me.
Whispers I wouldn't hear but would still feel.
I leaned against the counter and took a slow breath.
I wasn't doing this for Victor.
Not for Elena.
For me.
To prove I wasn't fragile.
To prove I wasn't one bad headline away from collapse.
My phone buzzed again.
Aaron: We'll talk later.
I stared at the message.
Later.
Everything felt like later.
Monday was coming whether I was ready or not.
And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't hiding from it.
I was walking straight toward it.
Even if my hands were shaking.